by Ann Staudt

The 2023 Iowa State Fair drew more than a million visitors, but in one small, shaded corner of the fair in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) courtyard, Water Rocks! and its Conservation Station Marsh Madness trailer proved to be a favorite attraction for many on Water Quality Day, Aug. 16 at the state fair.

Along with the sights and sounds of the aquatic wildlife and waterfowl in the courtyard, the trailer and Water Rocks staffers offered visitors information about conservation and different types of wetlands in Iowa, and how each benefits water quality.

LEARNING: Visitors of all ages are intrigued by wetlands models and conservation learning opportunities.

“In the course of our day at the fair, we spoke with more than 1,240 people who wanted to learn more about water quality and conservation,” said Jacqueline Comito, Water Rocks executive director. “It was nice to have the waterfowl back in the DNR courtyard this year — it adds a lot to the atmosphere and helps get people thinking about our wild areas and wetlands that permeate rural and urban areas across the state. The opportunity to engage with so many people of varied ages and backgrounds was invaluable to our — and the DNR’s — mission of providing education and information to all Iowans about water quality challenges and initiatives.”

Learning opportunities

The Conservation Station trailer is a learning platform that contributes the conservation education element to IDNR efforts to strategically place wetlands around the state in pursuit of a goal to increase diverse wildlife habitat, add beauty, provide recreational spaces and improve water quality.

Steven Konrady, Western Iowa basin coordinator with the IDNR, invited Water Rocks to be an integral part of Water Quality Day at the fair. He recalled the long history of IDNR’s support for the Conservation Station trailers and was delighted with what he saw at the fair.
“The Conservation Stations have become essential educational tools for IDNR and fit seamlessly into our state fair water quality programming goals,” Konrady said. “The team that accompanies the trailers further magnifies the impact through their professionalism, knowledge and enthusiasm. We appreciate what they do at the fair and throughout the year to carry conservation and water quality information to Iowans.”

The appearance at the state fair is the culmination of a rigorous summer of visits by Conservation Stations to county fairs and other public celebrations and events. Before the state fair, the trailers had already visited some 57 public events and reached 4,635 people in 2023.

CONSERVATION: Iowa State Fair fairgoers could visit the Marsh Madness Conservation Station at the fair.

As a youth education program, Water Rocks is well-known throughout the state for its energetic and engaging conservation and water quality classroom visits. Incorporating science, art, creativity and imagination, Water Rocks educators work with classroom teachers to deliver age-appropriate and science-based lessons that seem to stick.

“It is always such a delight to see a young person tugging on their parent’s hand, bringing them in to see Water Rocks because they remember a visit to their school,” Comito continued. “We love to experience these moments because they demonstrate the impact we made on a student weeks, months — or sometimes years — before, that makes them want to share what they know with their families.”

Engagement

Water Rocks team members engaged in conversation with visitors, offered opportunities to get a closer look at different wetlands found in Iowa through working models, and shared conservation vocabulary and facts. Visitors were also invited to share what they had learned for a chance to win a prize at the Water Rocks Plinko Parlor.

“It is so much fun to chat with people as they reach the Plinko game and quiz them on what they had learned, found interesting or enjoyed in their time at the Conservation Station,” said Liz Ripley, Water Rocks conservation outreach specialist. “Some visitors were very excited to see us at the fair again this year, and there were even a few that remembered winning a prize last year and were ready to take home something again this time around. In all, it was a great opportunity to interact with lots of different people and offer some concrete learning opportunities at one of the largest entertainment experiences in the state.”

Mitch Harting, water outreach specialist with Water Rocks, reflected on his interactions at the fair. “Our big goal is to share the mission of conservation with people of all walks of life, not just those directly involved in agriculture,” he said. “I found it particularly rewarding to help people make connections between the beautiful wet and wooded areas they see, and how those areas contribute to keeping the water we all use clean.”

To learn more about Water Rocks and the Conservation Stations, visit waterrocks.org.

Staudt is a conservation outreach specialist with Iowa Learning Farms and director of Water Rocks.